Chapter 103 – Something That Tries to Swallow (2)  

“Leo. The people of your village aren’t dead yet.”

You once told me this.

That sometimes a small misunderstanding can explode into a huge conflict.

But if you actually talk, it usually turns out to be nothing.

That problems happen because there’s no communication, and misunderstandings and distrust pile up.

…But even so, what you went through was never a small thing.

Still, it’s not something that can’t be undone.

You can’t scoop up spilled water.

…but you can still use the bowl it was in.

In other words, maybe things can be put back together.

“Don’t you think so?”

Cariel’s words were enough to hold Leo back.

And, 

“You had every intention of fulfilling your contract. But now, because of me, it’s impossible. So taking a step back here isn’t your fault.”

Cariel approached Mines and, with those cryptic words, essentially forced her to withdraw from the confrontation.

Above all, the fact that he even knew about the contract was reason enough for her to hesitate.

“Did you say goodbye to the kids before you left?”

“……”

That statement settled it.

She had arranged for the children’s safety, but in truth, she’d been dragged here half-running away.

And so, Mines, with her departure, the uproar was forcibly brought to a close.

Of course, things weren’t completely settled yet.

Shaking off those who tried to follow,

Cariel went straight to Ruslan, handed over everything he owned, and conveyed his request.

And Ruslan accepted.

Also, 

“This is our sincerity.”

She handed over blue stationery.

“Your regiment was also interested in the sword, weren’t you?”

“Of course.”

There weren’t just a handful of people interested in Grandeus’s sword.

Even aside from the Relief Knights and those influenced by their prophecy, the Edenrevan Regiment likely established a foothold here for the same reason, to cover all such interests.

And now that purpose was gone, those restrictions must be lifted in a new way.

“Still, we plan to maintain our presence here. That way, we won’t get side-eyed. After all the trouble it took to settle in this region, we’re not about to give it up just because the sword’s gone.”

Run away as soon as the sword’s removed? Just stop caring?

That would make their motives too obvious.

Especially for the already distrusted demons, there was no reason to hand over another excuse.

Instead, they would probably use this opportunity to expand their business and scale even more.

The location isn’t great, but that depends on how you work it.

That’s the kind of calm, matter-of-fact reasoning Ruslan spoke with, and Cariel didn’t offer any further comment.

“So, Cariel, where are you going now?”

“…Somewhere quiet.”

Now there was only one thing left to do.

“I’m not ready yet. Not for anything.”

* * *

Unlike when I entered, I will leave here alone.

They sent a guide to drive the carriage, but it wasn’t Luillin.

She’d left her to Leo for now, let them spend time together for a while.

* * *

Compared to that grand carriage of Philbar’s, this one was a bit cramped, but back then that had felt unnecessarily luxurious.

This is still more than enough.

Including the driver’s seat, it could hold up to six.

As long as the roads were paved, travel would be comfortable.

It meant I could finally catch my breath, even if only for a moment.

My body was still in a state where collapsing at any moment wouldn’t be strange.

“Haa.”

My body was still in disharmony.

I’d gained a lot, but digested very little.

One thing was certain.

I can’t go back to living the way I used to.

In a way, I’ve died twice now.

The first time was probably as a child, something to do with the World Tree or that damned legion commander.

And the second death was today.

To be exact, when I encountered ‘that.’

It really was like an afterlife experience.

It’s still vivid.

Vaster than the night sky, scattered with dazzling, abundant starlight.

But even that was rendered meaningless by a vast darkness, and the blinding light that encircled it.

It was a scene beyond imagination.

In the end, Grandeus’s trial boils down to a few things:

Are you ready to face death?

Can you throw yourself into danger for others, even at the cost of yourself?

Can you follow your own will?

And, 

…how desperate are you?

The sword the blacksmith repaired and handed to me.

But it was still unfinished.

The essence of the Golden Beast was an earth spirit.

That spirit eventually gained all attributes and became an omnipotent Spirit King.

But giving up on even that, she fell and became the Demon King.

Still, the essence never changed.

From a metal’s standpoint, the property it held was something unique in this world.

So the symbolism and meaning of beheading it, 

In other words, this sword handed down from my father, and then from Patina, even if it’s not a holy relic, is a sword that holds the possibility of being a relic or treasure.

That was exactly what Grandeus intended.

But that alone wasn’t enough.

In the past, Grandeus used the holy sword to fill that role.

But that was only half a solution.

He wanted to pass on a complete, perfected weapon to his successor.

And the inspiration for that came from, the sword left behind and used by Saint Cariel.

It wasn’t a holy relic, but it was considered a relic.

At the time, it was nothing.

It was just that.

But through it, Grandeus glimpsed the past and present of Saint Cariel.

A holy or divine sword is usually something heaven bestows, or at least closely related to it.

A holy relic is a treasure written into myth and history.

For Grandeus, who had to live like a wildflower, something chosen by heaven must have been unbearable.

‘But even that will eventually lose its shine, break, bend, or shatter.’

There’s also plenty of room for it to be misused.

It was just a tool, after all.

So what’s the best solution?

What should I do?

Of course, nothing is absolute.

But, you can design something close to absolute.

‘It’s no wonder I was late to realize it.’

I didn’t know the true nature of the power I wielded.

If I had, maybe I would have approached things differently.

– It’s gravity. But you probably won’t understand with just that.

The Demon King spoke calmly.

She said there is such a thing as the universe.

It’s higher and farther than the sky.

Far deeper, farther, more distant than that.

To Cariel, it was something he thought of as the sky above the sky.

He understood it academically, or from what he’d learned at the academy.

But only at that shallow level.

– I don’t really get it either. Let me explain based on what the Great Demon King told me: It’s a supreme force of nature that absorbs even light, that might even bend and swallow time and space itself. But since it’s beyond what can be contained by “nature,” he used the slightly exaggerated term “Great Nature.”

One of the answers the Great Demon King gave Grandeus.

– He said there are a few ways to kill me. The first is to wield a power equal to the sun. The second is to have the power to swallow light. The third… is a clash or explosion of powers so intense, neither of those can match it, a blooming, so to speak. If even one of these is realized, the world would be destroyed instantly.

The point is this, 

If it’s not enough power to blow away the world itself,

…don’t even think about trying.

– At that time, Grandeus asked what would be the closest method to defeat me while still preserving the world. The Great Demon King pointed to the second power.

This became both the inspiration and the cause for Grandeus’s obsession.

– He found the answer in his own way, but it was still unfinished.

Most of all, the absurdity is that even after achieving it, he couldn’t fully understand it himself.

“Wouldn’t you say you were used, in a way? Doesn’t that make you feel wronged?”

– If you put it that way, being born, living, and existing means being used in some way.

You have to approach it wisely.

– I just built a ship and sailed the river or the sea. If you get excited or disappointed at every milestone, lighthouse, or rock on the journey, how do you expect to live in this world?

“……”

That way of thinking is even scarier.

– Why you have no choice but to empty yourself, now it’s clear. That guy seemed empty too, but now I see why.

The Demon King said,

You now, 

– You’re very similar to that. Empty, but in a way that’s fundamentally different from just being empty.

Truly, something that could swallow up the whole world and still have room left over.

But it’s also a path, a passage, and even though it looks like an empty vessel, it’s really more like an entryway, a vessel with no limit.

…It’s a contradiction, in many ways.

– Are you just going to ignore the ones following behind?

“……”

People following the carriage at a distance.

Ases and the mercenary band she leads? A private mercenary group?

There weren’t many.

“As long as they don’t bother me, I don’t need to care.”

– What about the Relief Knights or that father of yours who’s after you?

“……”

That’s why I couldn’t collapse, couldn’t rest, ended up like this after handing over all my possessions.

Normally, it wouldn’t be strange if I passed out right now.

Maybe because I survived the crisis, my body feels like it’ll collapse but my mind is strangely clear.

Sometimes, when exhaustion piles up, this happens.

You feel so sleepy you could die, but for some reason, you can’t sleep at all.

Maybe that’s why I can pay attention to the Demon King’s ramblings now.

“So, now I just have to train my body like you said?”

– Yes. Normally, that’s the only way to survive… but fate had other plans.

She must know what kind of state I’m in.

Still, I’m not just some remnant like Grandeus was, just a surviving will.

The vitality we take for granted, now feels completely unrelated to me.

– That holy sword said something about you and the four stars, didn’t it? Now it makes sense.

I don’t get it, but the Demon King seems to.

– Now there are six. One on your left wrist, one on your right elbow, one on your forehead, one on your solar plexus, one on your right hip, and one on your right ankle.

“……?”

– If I had to guess, when all the stars are formed, there’ll be fourteen in total.

The Demon King continued.

Wrist, elbow, shoulder, six in total, left and right.

Ankle, knee, hip, another six, also left and right.

Then the solar plexus and the head.

– It’s a completely different structure from the usual way of placing mana reservoirs in certain organs. Instead of storage, it’s all about circulation and linkage… I can see where your ability to do these things comes from.

“…Why do I know this now, but not before?”

– Because your senses were limited then. Like I said, sharing part of your senses is just a fragment of what I can grasp.

But now it’s different.

– Most of your restrictions are gone. That means you… instead of being an object, are taking on a trait closer to space itself.

“……”

That’s hard to follow.

I got the gist, but it’s difficult.

“So, I’ve become less like a living being and more like nature or space? Is that what you’re saying?”

– That’s a cheap way to put it, but sure. That’s a decent way to understand it.

“……”

You and I.

The world and me.

The boundaries feel more and more ambiguous.

I never thought even my existence would change like this.

“Ah.”

So that’s why I’ve come to understand the nature of trees, rocks, wind, and water so instinctively.

No, maybe it’s not even understanding, maybe I’m just becoming it.

Even so, I haven’t lost ‘myself’ yet.

If I lost that, I really wouldn’t be myself anymore.

At that point, I wouldn’t be a living thing, but just another part of nature.

…Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad ending.

If there’s no ‘me,’ then anguish, worries, pain, and sadness would all disappear.

……

– Haa.

As if he had truly stopped breathing.

The Demon King, watching Cariel asleep, leaning quietly with his eyes closed, fell into an indescribable reverie.

‘Most of my questions are answered now.’

And thanks to Grandeus’s arrangements, she’d gained one certainty.

‘So, you want to entrust not just yourself, but even what is mine, to him? How greedy.’

Few in the world know this.

The Demon King of Wisdom never had a unique weapon or magical tool of her own.

She left behind no personal legacy.

So people recall the Golden Wisdom as something to be feared for its existence alone.

But the truth is, no one knows.

Only a very select few.

There was a single treasure that even the Great Demon King never stopped praising, a treasure she herself possessed.

‘Such a brazen comrade.’

The right to wield it belongs to whoever possesses it.

Whether that person knows what it is or not is a problem for later.

She doesn’t cling to such things.

If you feel a lack just by possessing something, isn’t it easier to give up ownership altogether?

Nothing is infinite.

Nothing is eternal.

It’s because people try to possess what can’t be owned that they suffer, agonize, feel pain, regret, and are torn apart…

It’s all such pointless worry.

In the end, you leave everything behind when you die anyway.

If you understand that in your mind, just live by it.

So, the truly wise try to carve themselves and their traces into the memories of others, into records, into history, but eventually, with wisdom, even that is revealed to be meaningless.

Even so, the act of passing things down, of tradition, of memory, must never be abandoned.

It’s a contradiction, but for those left behind, that’s an unmatched blessing.

The best things should be shared.

Isn’t that only right?

– You.

The golden-haired girl, sitting across from him with her legs crossed, kept watching the sleeping boy for a long time, never seeming to tire of the sight.